Listen to the buzz

Emma ran to her mom, engulfing her in a big hug.

"Oh mom, how I've missed you"

Her mom hugged her ever so gently.

"Mom..." Emma said while crying.

"Why haven't you returned to live with us?" Emma asked genuinely concerned.

When her mom didn't answer she continued "Is this real or am I dreaming?"

Emma looked around to see that she was actually in a park. At her favorite park, she and her mom would sit for hours on the bench just talking about every and anything before going for ice cream.

"My baby..." Sandra tucked Emma's hair behind her ears. Her eyes seemed scared yet brave for her daughters' sake.

"Mom, am I dreaming?" Emma pinched herself. "Ouch," she cried.

"Mom is this real? Are you here mom?" tears flooded Emma's face. Her mom was actually with her.

"My baby I will always be with you," Sandra said.

The scene then shifts to when Emma was younger and her mom had her in the park.

"They say bees bite, wasp sting but beware of the one with the long wing. For the bees rarely bite when provoked but the wasp will sting even for the least of things.

Everyone in Droneville knew the saying that bees are treasured but wasps are damn. They are hunted and killed while the bees are protected by everyone."

"What did the wasp do?" Emma asked. "No one truly knows, for everyone who was associated with that era had died long ago." Her mom explained.

"Mom, why doesn't anyone like the wasp?"

Sandra scratched her head trying to provide a reasonable explanation that her 5year old would understand.

Emma remembered this moment. Her mom would tell her this poem each time they went to the park. It was one of her favorites. Maybe that's where she grew to love her mom bees. Maybe it was a love she had embedded inside her and only chose to acknowledge it after her mom died.

'Zzzzzzzz' Emma swung her hand close to her ears.

The buzzing continued Emma swung her hand again but after many failed attempts chose to ignore it because she remembered that if provoked the bee would stink her and die.

'Listen closely' Emma turned to see who said that but saw no one so she brushed it off as her mind playing games.

Since lately things have been strange.

'Listen to your mom's words' the voice echoed.

Emma wanted to ask who was there but her mom started speaking and she did as she was told.

'Ems my baby, remember that you are a Queen..."

"No mommy I am a Princess, you are a Queen and Dad is a King" Emma said proudly.

"My Ems, I wish you could understand. Listen my baby" Sandra said pulling Emma closer to her lap.

Emma brought up her hand to wipe a tear that fell from her eye. She remembered this moment and wondered why she had to relive a moment that was a memory and only pained her.

Emma turned away but was knocked to her bum when she saw who was standing next to her.

"Surprise surprise!" Emma sat where she was, she couldn't properly process what she was seeing or rather who she was seeing.

Contempt was apparent on Emma's face while she examined the uninvited guest.

"Oh am tired of that look..." She said waving her hand not a slight bit affected by the clear loathing look Emma wore.

Emma remained silent "...Listen up baby girl you're going to want to hear this part," She said enthusiastically focusing her attention to where younger Emma and her mom sat down.

Emma's emotional stage was on a roller-coaster today. Curiosity got the better of her as she felt the pull to look at her younger self and her mom.

The sadness she felt before slowly returning. She knew this memory because her mom would tell her 'Be brave my baby, now let's go for ice cream my Queen' to which she would complain that she is a Princess.

Sandra hugged Emma tightly, then held her hand while she put her on the park bench.

I...I don't recall this. Emma thought.

"Be brave my baby,

Beware of the yellow jacket,

The people in Droneville aren't what they seem,

The bees will be loyal to you until you are of age, beware of the long wings, narrow waist and skinny legs,

A war is coming,

I have fought well but I don't know if I'll survive to see you grow.

If I pass, protect my farm, the Queen is key

I will miss you and I am with you always"

A tear ran from Sandra's eye, she quickly wiped away as Emma was distracted by one of Sandra's bees.

'Thanks' Sandra whispered to the bee before it went away.

'Now let's go get ice cream my Queen and remember not to tell Daddy, this is our secret" Sandra smiled holding Emma's hand while heading to the car.

"OK, mommy..." Emma promised. "..I'm still a Princess". Emma mumbled.

A new set of tears formed in Emma's eyes. She had no recollection of this memory.

"Hey child, see your mom told you I'm key" The Queen stood proudly.

"Now wipe your tears, baby girl. We have a war to prepare for."

At some point in time, Emma found her way to her feet and the Queen inched closer to her.

"Beware the yellow jacket! Ensure you drink the royal jelly" The Queen stepped forward and Emma stepped back.

"No need to fear me love, I helped your mom and many before her, now you are different....you took my place...and yet...."

"No no no, this isn't real!!! My mom never said those things to me!!" Emma shouted enraged.

She pointed at the Queen.

"Now you listen! You are not real! You are a figment of my imagination!....you....you mean nothing to me...and I am nothing like you so stop!!"

The Queen looked at Emma and inspected the finger that was pointed at her. She whirled around again and this time Emma retracted her finger and stuck it in her mouth.

"You bitch!!" Emma shouted.

"Mind your language child, am sure Sandra raised you better" Emma looked at The Queen with venom in her eye.

"You will soon know what's real little girl, I'm too old for this, if it wasn't for you mom I would....you know what never mind. When you are ready to accept the truth call me" The Queen said before vanishing into dust.

Emma continued to hear a buzzing sound in her head.

"God damn it!!" She slapped at the bee near her ears again unable to ignore it this time.

"EMMA! EMMA!"

Emma jumped up. She scanned her environment but realized that she was inside her room.

Oh, it was just a nightmare.

"Dad" Jason looked at Emma. The signs were evident. Sandra went through this stage when they had Emma. His team had to work faster.

A war was coming and he needed to ensure that all his preparations to stay ahead had paid off.

"Dad"

Her dad knew what she meant without her asking.

"You kept screaming in your sleep that it's not real it's not real." Jason opened his mouth to say something more but seconded guess it.

"Am sure it was just a nightmare," Emma reassured her dad with a not-so-convincing look.

Her dad got the message and got up to leave. He stared out the window for a moment. When he showed no signs of actually leaving Emma cleared her throat.

"Oh..ahh... Emma you know you can always talk to me, I know you miss your mom and I can't take her place but I'm still your dad"

Jason did not wait on a response.

Jason walked towards the door and said goodbye. Emma released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Outside Emma's window, something shifted out of view breaking a branch. Emma jumped still freaked out by her nightmare and went to pull her blinds closer together.

She got off the bed and knelt to pray.

"Please God, help me, non of this is real. I just want to finish high school and head to college. No drama, in Jesus's name. Amen...oh and please protect my mom wherever she is. Thanks"

Emma got up, unable to sleep anymore. She headed towards the kitchen, with her phone light guiding the way. She opened the fridge and took out some whipped cream and grapes. That always calmed her, but when she bit into the delicacy she almost vomited.

She threw the remainder in the bin and stood in front of the fridge trying to find something else to eat.

Royal jelly, rally jelly. A faint chant could be heard from somewhere.

Emma did not notice it as she dug further into the fridge and came up with...milk. Her stomach grumbled.

She was searching for honey and something but this will have to do. She wasn't even sure when her dad purchased milk.

Emma held the milk bottle to her head and the creamy taste slid down the back of her throat quieting the rumbling in her stomach.

She had to force herself to stop drinking it, savoring some for tomorrow. Emma's phone light guided her back to bed.

Emma slept like a baby her nightmare a thing of the past...well past few hours.

Jason slowly closed the door that showed into the kitchen.

After witnessing his daughter drinking the milk her mom loved so much he couldn't help but feel anxious.

Emma loved grapes and whipped cream but she spat it in the bin.

Jason sat behind his desk and held the phone to his ears. The phone rang and went straight to voicemail. The second ring wasn't successful either.

"Damn it!" He brought down his fist and almost hit the desk but reconsider when he thought it would only wake Emma.

" For fuck sake Frank!!" Jason was on the edge of skinning someone alive. Where was his...

His phone rang.

"Frank if I ever call you again and you...."

"Jason my man, it's been so long, I thought surely I wasn't seeing well when I saw the caller ID." Frank joke cutting him off.

'Babe who'....'shhhh' Frank sushed the person beside him.

"Frank it isn't time for games I assure you." Jason's tone alerted Frank to the seriousness of the situation.

"She drank it" Jason stated matter-of-factly.

"Okay, what's the order?" Frank asked.

"Keep watch, there was someone outside her window, send some 'good men' anything that isn't familiar to us take tort...no... 'question' them. My visit is soon."

Jason hung up without awaiting a response.

"Baby who was that?" Frank didn't even remember the person's name he was beside. He met her at a club and she was up for having a good time.

"You wouldn't even know or believe it if I told you" Frank kissed her. Wiping away all the questioning and enjoying the rest of their night.